Universal Orlando: JAWS the Ride to close forever?!

[flynnibus]

Re: Universal Orlando: JAWS the Ride to close forever?!

put the hogwarts express in an enclosed tunnel that runs above grade across the backlot areas... and run king kong type video screens and sets through it the entire way to make it a controlled experience they can simulate any place

It's spiderman meets king kong meets harry potter

[Bystander]

Re: Universal Orlando: JAWS the Ride to close forever?!

Jaws and Harry Potter are in separate parks, with separate admission fees which are paid with separate sets of U.S. Dollars.

[k_peek_2000]

Re: Universal Orlando: JAWS the Ride to close forever?!

Jaws and Harry Potter are in separate parks, with separate admission fees which are paid with separate sets of U.S. Dollars.

Very nice observation!

[KingEric]

Re: Universal Orlando: JAWS the Ride to close forever?!

Jaws and Harry Potter are in separate parks, with separate admission fees which are paid with separate sets of U.S. Dollars.

Glad you noticed that, in the over 500 times I have visited the Universal Orlando Resort, I must have missed that.

[9oldmen]

Re: Universal Orlando: JAWS the Ride to close forever?!

Jaws and Harry Potter are in separate parks, with separate admission fees which are paid with separate sets of U.S. Dollars.

And that's the case even if you have a park hopper!!
Well, now I guess you'll be paying with Wizarding Galleons, Sickles and Knuts.(which might actually become the "Disney Dollars" of Universal! You know they must have been thiinking of how to make that work.)

[KingEric]

Re: Universal Orlando: JAWS the Ride to close forever?!

I would love for there to be transportation between parks... (how lazy does that make me sound) but there are soooo many times I am in Toon Lagoon, and I am like... Just let me walk over to UO. I can see the sound stages, just let me walk over that way, instead of pushing me out, and making me walk all the way around.

[sir clinksalot]

Re: Universal Orlando: JAWS the Ride to close forever?!

Obviously just a "rumor", but this could actually work.

Rumor: 'Wizarding World of Harry Potter' Orlando to expand with London-based Potter attractions

The Internet has certainly been buzzing with rumors relating to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter on both sides of the country. Recently, several sources have reported details of the Orlando-based theme park's expansion.Here is what the rumors entail:

Universal Orlando: Phase II of the Wizarding World would include a new section of the park to take over where the Jaws and Amity portion recently closed down.

The rumored plans include a reproduction of London, which would house Diagon Alley - a 'true' location for Ollivander's Wand Shop, Gringotts Bank with an amazing new roller coaster cart ride, and the Leaky Cauldron.

Additionally, they would add Platform 9 and 3/4 where patrons would pass through the muggle side and be whisked away to Hogsmeade Station via an actual train ride on the Hogwarts Express.

Don't forget, we are expecting word today of an official announcement from Universal about their plans for opening a new Harry Potter theme park at Universal Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles, California.

Stay tuned to MuggleNet for the latest news!

[flynnibus]

Re: Universal Orlando: JAWS the Ride to close forever?!

I thought about london vs hogsmeade too.. but to do so would require basically tear out what they've already done in IOA as the current street is a hybrid of those two locations. The Gringot's bank coaster has been mentioned the entire time (not sure how much of that is fan lust vs actual insider info tho, as its such an easy assumption to make).

I have a hard time thinking they will tear out what was already done.. because of the impact on the main draw of the park and costs.. unless they've actually won the operational arguments over how the locations were built and will take the opportunity to redo them. For instance, no longer needing to take stock from outside the building into the wand shop, etc.

But with a train rumor.. one still needs to find space in the IOA location for a train station and rail path.

The london to hogwarts 'experience' makes a ton of sense, except for whatelse to populate the london side with. UNLESS.. one builds the ministry of magic

Besides the alley, there is little that stands to attract people on the london side. BUT, the ministry angle would also give UNI the ability to build an attraction with basically zero need for outside views.. meaning it could go in a soundstage, etc.

[KingEric]

Re: Universal Orlando: JAWS the Ride to close forever?!

I thought about london vs hogsmeade too.. but to do so would require basically tear out what they've already done in IOA as the current street is a hybrid of those two locations. The Gringot's bank coaster has been mentioned the entire time (not sure how much of that is fan lust vs actual insider info tho, as its such an easy assumption to make).

I have a hard time thinking they will tear out what was already done.. because of the impact on the main draw of the park and costs.. unless they've actually won the operational arguments over how the locations were built and will take the opportunity to redo them. For instance, no longer needing to take stock from outside the building into the wand shop, etc.

But with a train rumor.. one still needs to find space in the IOA location for a train station and rail path.

The london to hogwarts 'experience' makes a ton of sense, except for whatelse to populate the london side with. UNLESS.. one builds the ministry of magic

Besides the alley, there is little that stands to attract people on the london side. BUT, the ministry angle would also give UNI the ability to build an attraction with basically zero need for outside views.. meaning it could go in a soundstage, etc.

Great observation. I have been trying to distill "fan lust" from actual information. Everyone here at Universal is tight lipped about what is going on. I have 1 source that is pretty solid on what is going on in there, and it is nothing that has been mentioned online, so I need to get a 2nd confirmation before I can share what it is.

[TravisMT81]

Re: Universal Orlando: JAWS the Ride to close forever?!

glad you noticed that, in the over 500 times i have visited the universal orlando resort, i must have missed that.

rotflmao!

[FigmentJedi]

Re: Universal Orlando: JAWS the Ride to close forever?!

The london to hogwarts 'experience' makes a ton of sense, except for whatelse to populate the london side with. UNLESS.. one builds the ministry of magic

You forgot Gringotts as a rollercoaster.

[ChrisFL]

Re: Universal Orlando: JAWS the Ride to close forever?!

New post on my blog about Harry Potter:

[flynnibus]

Re: Universal Orlando: JAWS the Ride to close forever?!

You forgot Gringotts as a rollercoaster.

but gringots is 'in' diagon alley which is already in IOA. That's why I excluded it.

[lazyboy97O]

Re: Universal Orlando: JAWS the Ride to close forever?!

but gringots is 'in' diagon alley which is already in IOA. That's why I excluded it.

How do you figure? Olivander's is the only location not previously mentioned as existing in or near Hogsmeade.

[tasman]

Re: Universal Orlando: JAWS the Ride to close forever?!

I am sure that it would be relatively easy to retheme any "London" elements currently in IOA, if USO Potter rumors turn out to be true.

If true, IMO, this idea was a stroke of genius on Universal's part. How about a Vecoma coaster for Gringott's like the one Disney is planning for Tron in Shanghai?

[flynnibus]

Re: Universal Orlando: JAWS the Ride to close forever?!

How do you figure? Olivander's is the only location not previously mentioned as existing in or near Hogsmeade.

Ehh.. it's right in the first book. Hagrid takes Harry to Diagon Alley to buy his school supplies, including stopping at Gringots to get money to buy said supplies. It's also covered in later books. Diagon Alley is the only location in London in the books that is visibly 'wizard-looking'. Everything else is obscured or vanilla looking.

[KingEric]

Re: Universal Orlando: JAWS the Ride to close forever?!

I am just excited about the parks in general now. So much awesome and positive change.

[tasman]

Re: Universal Orlando: JAWS the Ride to close forever?!

Everything else is obscured or vanilla looking.

But it doesn't have to be. London has great architecture and the exterior could easily just be the muggle world of the central city...and as such would meld with reproductions of other cities (NY, LA, etc) elsewhere in the park. One could imagine a scenario where Diagon Alley was located within a large show building...a better version of WDS-Paris' Hollywood Blvd...culminating in Gringots. Besides which, the Gringots coaster is not the only ride possibility. For example, from a few movies / books back there was the Triple Decker Bus...which drove around the streets of "real" London.

[flynnibus]

Re: Universal Orlando: JAWS the Ride to close forever?!

But it doesn't have to be. London has great architecture and the exterior could easily just be the muggle world of the central city...and as such would meld with reproductions of other cities (NY, LA, etc) elsewhere in the park. One could imagine a scenario where Diagon Alley was located within a large show building...a better version of WDS-Paris' Hollywood Blvd...culminating in Gringots. Besides which, the Gringots coaster is not the only ride possibility. For example, from a few movies / books back there was the Triple Decker Bus...which drove around the streets of "real" London.

But Diagon Alley is ALREADY in IOA. 'Hogsmeade' in IOA is a hybrid of the Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley from the books. Olivanders and D&B (same physical structure) are from Diagon Alley, while Zonkos, Three Broomsticks+hogshead, and honeydukes are from hogsmeade. I think many of the shop windows are setup to resemble Diagon Alley too.

To put things from Diagon Alley into USO side, they need to rip that stuff out from the IOA side. There would be reasons they would want to do that.. for instance possibly rebuilding Olivanders to a multi-theatre setup, or something else to make the shops more efficent, etc. But doing so also means taking the resorts prime draw down into crippled mode for a period of construction. Something I'm sure they'd want to really avoid.

But your mention of the knights bus and the flying car are also story lines that would probably fit into Universal's scope.

[tasman]

Re: Universal Orlando: JAWS the Ride to close forever?!

But Diagon Alley is ALREADY in IOA...To put things from Diagon Alley into USO side, they need to rip that stuff out from the IOA side.

In my opinion at least, it would be relatively easy to retheme some of the shops currently in IOA from Diagnon Alley to Hogsmeade, and recreate the Diagon Alley shops at Universal Studios. Not that they will do this, but if they wanted to, I don't think it would be all that difficult. The second phase of Potter probably isn't going to open for at least three years, and in the mean time, all the shops currently in IOA could just stay as they are now.